Precast arch/circle for brick veneer

[JStructsteel]

Got a small precast circle supporting brick veneer. About a 6' span. Load is about 300 lbs/ft. For design sakes, I am assuming all the brick will be on the arch, no brick arching action.

They want to do 4 pieces of precast, split in the quarter locations. My analysis shows moment obviously. What are your thoughts of doing a field epoxy anchor to join them together?

BTW, I am also going to ask them to do 2 piece with a false joint, and actual joint at the 3 and 9 position. They already have some similar arches with same span, so not sure why needs to be 4 pieces.

Thoughts?

 

[Greenalleycat]

I don't like permanent loads like that on epoxy bolts
But maybe if you can just way overspec the epoxy capacity it'll be OK to sleep at night
Any slip or poor epoxying will lead to cracking

Can they do a dogbone type connection and stitch rods, similar to this?

https://www.rhinocarbonfiber.com/concrete-crack-lock

 

[LittleWheels]

Check your epoxy material for long-term loading. Many polymers are focussed on resisting short-term loading and creep can be noticeable.

 

[phamENG]

My analysis shows moment obviously.

It's not obvious. You have a circular arch. People have been building these as compression only structures - some without any mortar at all - for thousands of years. A uniformly loaded semi-circular or even segmental arch shouldn't need the connection you're talking about.

Here's a BIA Tech note on unreinforced, semi-circular brick arches. Might be worth a read.

 

[structSU10]

Agree with pham. maybe it needs to be temporarily shored during construction but this is a pure compression arch.

 

[JStructsteel]

PhamENG, thanks. I thought about that. I can make sure its all mortared in with the brick around the perimeter to give it that support. Im still going to do a pin of some kind at the joint I think to give it alignment and out of plane redundancy.

 

[masonrygeek]

Yeah, ditch the precast and do a true loadbearing arch. Pham provided one of the BIA Tech Notes, but here is one that is a little newer (on arches in general):

https://www.gobrick.com/media/file/31-brick-masonry-arches.pdf.

and for those that can't get enough of masonry arch design:

https://canadamasonrydesigncentre.com/download/12th_symposium/609.pdf.